Completed [The Bronze Woods] The Squire and the Sorcerer

[Aoren]

4th Day of Spring, 514 AV
8th Bell

Aoren stood in the center of the clearing he enjoyed frequenting not too deep into the Bronze Woods. It was a lightly chilly morning. The final vestiges of Morwen’s touch graced his bare arms. It felt good to be outside without fear of freezing to death. There were certainly other dangers to be wary of but Aoren wouldn’t let that stop him from enjoying just being outside.

He was garbed simply opting to wear his leather vest and leggings in preparation for what he’d decided to do with his time that morning. It was time to get back to practicing some of his reimancy techniques. Taking a deep breath Aoren worked on centering himself. He closed his eyes bringing his hands up to his chest with the palms facing skyward. It was no easy thing to do. The noise of the forest was all around him. He could hear birds chirping. He could hear the buzz of a few insects. The light morning breeze wafting over the tops of the trees brushed across the bare skin of his arms. There was an itch to stay in motion surging through Aoren’s body after being confined for a while season. He sifted through all of these things.

One deep breath.

Aoren focused on his breathing. He felt the rise and fall of his chest. The air being filtered through his nose was cold but it felt good. He resisted the urge to shiver. Aoren rotated his wrists so that the palms of his hands were facing the earth. He lowered his arms as he exhaled slowly. As soon as his hands were at waist level he flipped them so that his palms were facing the sky once more and inhaled steadily. Little by little he was filtering out the unnecessary distractions that could prove to be detrimental to his focus.

Another deep breath.

The noise of the awakening forest wasn’t quite so intrusive on his inner thoughts. It wasn’t that it was overly loud but for the techniques that he was going to attempt he almost needed to have tunnel vision. When Aoren felt he was centered enough he opened his eyes taking in the expanse of the clearing. It wasn’t overly large. He could cross from one end to the other in a short sprint but it was wide and long enough to allow room for two people to spar comfortably. The grass was just beginning to green. The buds on the trees were starting to sprout leaves. With as clear a mind as he was going to get for someone not overly practiced in the art of meditation, Aoren reached for the inner most sanctum of his mind. His Djed. He could feel it as a real, thriving force that pulsed throughout his body.

Carefully he brought his arms up tucking them in at his sides balling his hands into fists. Aoren adopted a solid stance with his feet shoulder width apart, his legs slightly bent and his hips rotated so that he was not quite facing forward. Grabbing hold of his Djed with his mind, Aoren willed it to flow to the palms of his hands. He pulled his Djed from its slumber directing it to gather in his hands before it began to exude from his skin as Res. This Res was thick and gel like. Aoren watched carefully as it slowly began to encompass his fists then spread up the length of his forearms. Once the Res covered his forearms up to his elbows he found the Djed that best resonated with him and the element of Air. With a steady exhalation he willed the outer most layer of the Res around his right arm to attract the air nearest him. Little by little he watched the gel like Res become tendrils of whispy wind that slowly spun around his forearm. With a little focus Aoren transmuted the outer most layer of Res on his left arm into water. He willed the inner layer to attract the water so that it didn’t fall away.

Giving an experimental shake of his arms to test how much hold he had on the elements swirling around his arms Aoren watched the Res fluctuate. Taking a deep breath he wove his arms over each other mentally willing the two elements of Water and Air to blend. It wasn’t so simple as just blending the elements however. With a careful train of thought he commanded the air to spin rapidly to decrease the temperature inside the wind. As it touched the water he watched the surface layers of both of his arms frost over. Aoren didn’t accelerate the wind so much that the elements would fuse and turn entirely to ice. It required a modicum of concentration but he could manage for a short while. With both of his arms encircled by the frigid winds he began practicing his hand-to-hand techniques.

Aoren slid his right leg forward extending his right fist outward as he did. He brought his arm down in a slow, concentrated downward motion. The young man then brought up his hand in a firm strike. After practicing a few choice strikes Aoren increased the speed of his motions. He stepped forward kicking upward with his left leg balancing on his right. He proceeded to execute a flurry of punches as quickly as he could. When he was comfortably warmed up he began propelling the icy winds outward with each punch. The frigid bursts blew across the awakening grass in the clearing causing a more potent breeze. He jumped upward bringing his knee upward in a high kick before landing on the ground. Aoren dropped into a kneel pounding his fists on the ground releasing the propelling the elements winding around his forearms expelling them outward in a burst of icy wind.

The grass in the immediate area surrounding Aoren was flattened and coated in a thin layer of ice. The remaining Res covering Aoren’s forearm he absorbed back into his body. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath, the result of his exertions making him a little tired but nowhere near his breaking point. Rising to his feet Aoren turned to resume his practice, ready to drill for a little while longer.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig felt his teeth grit at what he saw… he didn’t see all of it no, but he knew what he saw and it frightened him, yet also intrigued him. Ever since that day with the Journeyman, that very same day he learned that a good friend of his was a mage, he’d been intrigued….His physical skills had been useless that day, and ever since then he wanted to get more powerful. And today, as he was patrolling the forest out of his own accord and to get a little fresh air away from the stuffy insides of the Keep, he didn’t expect to see a mage practicing in the forest.

When he first saw the Mage, it was during the middle of what the mage was casting, as he peeked over from behind the tree. He didn’t know what the mage was doing, yet it seemed that he had summone some odd glowing liquid or something, he didn’t know what he was doing with such a thing…but somehow, Kreig didn’t know how, but somehow he seemed to be willing it. The liquid seemed to be turning into something else entirely….the brawler felt his heart race with anxiety as he tried to comprehend what he saw.

Then suddenly the mage seemed to be practicing unarmed moves and with each movement a bit of wind seemed to move, especially when Kreig suddenly felt a sudden chill of wind coming his direction ‘ Why do they seek such power?’ If what Kreig saw was correct, then it felt like the man was bending the elements to his will ‘ I already know the answer to that’ Why anyone want power? The answers were endless but the most common would either because they simply desired control or have something to protect, Kreig was the latter… He had many things he wished to protect now and that fact, that at this very moment, that he was considering to learn magic for such things…..frightened him, Sunberth was known for exaggerating facts and rumors, but rumors tend to have a semblance of truth within them and one constant truth that was frequently proven was that magic was dangerous and once Kreig came to Syliras he realized that most places agreed to the fact ‘….Is the person really willing to risk much to learn something so dangerous? What are his reasons for such power?’

Once the man was done, perhaps only briefly, Kreig stepped out of hiding and looked at the grass….. it was coated with an icy sheen and that caused his heart to race even further. He gulped the fear away as he looked at the man before, trying to find a semblance of calm, and finally spoke “What is it that you have just done here?”
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[Aoren]

“I really need to consider getting a guard dog.”

Aoren sighed inwardly to himself. He hadn’t expected to be disturbed so early in the morning by anyone in particular. The arrival of the man hadn’t surprised him, there was always the possibility of meeting a random hunter, knight or squire out foraging through the woods. He was more exasperated at being interrupted. Aoren disliked having his training session interrupted but that was the price one paid when they didn’t have the luxury of practicing in a private place. The Bronze Woods was, after all, a very wide open place where everyone and anyone could romp through when they saw fit.

The man who stepped out of the shade of the trees was shorter than Aoren, give or take a few inches. He had the lean build of someone accustomed to physical activity. His honey colored eyes caught the thin rays of Syna’s light streaming through the trees. By his stance and his appearance Aoren gathered this wasn’t a man easily set on edge but the tone of his voice as his asked his question struck a chord with Aoren.

Unease.

It wasn’t full blown fear that Aoren sensed. It was more rigid caution. By the set of the man’s jaw, Aoren could tell that he’d likely seen all of what he’d practiced. His reaction didn’t surprise Aoren. It was for that very reason that the Drykas man often chose to exercise his abilities in the seclusion of the woods. That seclusion was not always guaranteed but it worked for the most part.

“I would think it’s fairly obvious what I did.” Aoren gestured to the frosted grass around them that was quickly thawing.

“If you need a more in depth explanation I suppose I can provide one.” He rolled his shoulders loosening the tight muscles there. Rotating his neck back and forth Aoren took a calming breath. “I practiced my hand-to-hand skills while incorporating my magic to form a more unique and disciplined technique. It’s not perfect but I’m working on it.” He offered the blonde haired man a smile. Extending a hand to the man Aoren did his best to appear non-threatening.

“My name is Aoren. Pleased to meet you.” Aoren had often found that the quickest way to dispel the inherent fear that many common people had about wizards was to offer them a friendly disposition. This didn’t always work but more often than not no one was interested in a fight with someone who could hurl fireballs in your face. There had been the occasional time where an effort to be friendly had only been met with more hostility. In those instances Aoren did his best to fend for himself and avoid a fight as much as possible. There were times however when it was just unavoidable. He hoped he wouldn’t have to resort to such measures now. The Drykas didn’t have a problem with violence. He was simply opposed to violence that could otherwise be avoided.

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig was shocked to see the man's reaction was that of someone acting like it was something natural. Itt had caught him so off gaurd that the brawler was rendered speechless really, rendering him gawking at the Sorcerer as he began explaning just what it was that he did exactly in a normal conversational tone. If anything, the candidness in the way he acted reminded him so much of Fallon and the way she seemed to act so naturally when it came to certain situations, and this man had just done something so odd that it struck a chord with Kreig.

Suddenly he let out a small chuckle, it was clear he was still wary of the Mage, but took his hand and shook it all the same "Kreig Messer, dear gent" In truth acting cordial was all he could do, it all felt so surreal to be talking to a mage, particularly one who was clearly not of the Syliran Knights. From the gist of what he said, Kreig understood that whatever he was doing with his magic he was trying to enchance it with unarmed movement. Quite frankly Kreig wouldn't be able to understand what that meant, but from the man's form Kreig could tell that he was no master fighter, in fact it seemed like the man was knew to such a form of fighting in general.

But then curiosity struck him really, he had to know just what it was that Aoren was practicing, not the form of unarmed but rather the magic he performed "I beg that you forgive me for prying, I'd understand if you don't wish to divulge, but was that magic you were practicing?"

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[Aoren]

The handshake that he received from Kreig was all that he needed to know that that man was still uncomfortable. Aoren understood though. Dropping the man’s hand Aoren clasped his own behind his back uncertain of what to do with himself now that he was in the presence of another person. He had intended to do a little more manipulation of his techniques before meditating but that seemed a little out of place now that Kreig was here. Fortunately it seemed they wouldn’t have to dwell in awkward silence for long as the man posed his question. Aoren nodded.

“Yes. It was.” Aoren had encountered enough magicians during his life in Syliras to know that common people were very aware that it existed. They were also very aware of the fact that magic was dangerous when in the hands of the reckless. Aoren didn’t consider himself reckless, quite the opposite actually. For being a young man of only twenty-five years of age he would say he’d been very careful with the gift he’d been given at the age of twelve. He attributed that to the fact that he had been blessed with a teacher so cautious with his own powers that he imparted that wise caution to his student.

“I don’t mind the questions. Magic is a touchy subject for some. It is a dangerous one for others and then there are those like me…” He shrugged his shoulders in a nonchalant manner. “…who just view it as something that simply exists.”

That was the truth of the matter. Aoren viewed magic as neither something good or inherently evil. It was a lesson that wasn’t very difficult for him to learn. He attributed that to the fact that he’d grown up being able to see a single issue from multiple perspectives. Such was the nature of other gifts bestowed upon him. It was a gift he was slowly beginning to understand wasn’t as much of a burden as he once thought.

“I didn’t hurt you or anything did I? If you got caught in the after effects I apologize. I came out here hoping to practice some of my more dangerous techniques away from people.” He gave Kreig a meaningful look. “Obviously that didn’t work out so well.”

[Kreig Messer]

The man was quite obvious, Kreig could see that and was appreciative of the fact. When he called Magic a touchy subject for some, Kreig couldn't help but think that was an understatement. But Kreig was Sunberthian, so their 'sensitivity ' towards magic, especially if one were to know of its history, was quite understandable. It was the kind of power Tyrants would use to bend the masses to their will, whether through subtlety or through sheer overwhelming force

" I do apoligize for interruping....I was merely patrolling when I noticed your training and well....I was quite curious, especially since the previous season there was a rogue mage going about setting things on fire so...." Yes Kreig had heard that the previous season a rogue mage was going about and causing tons of trouble for the city, killing people. However when he looked at the man before, he clearly didn't seem the type to do such things.

"But seeing as I'm still standing I can clearly cross you out and breath happily to know that I won't be fried to a crisp" And then he realized the man didn't seem to use flames, it felt like ice or whatever was his forte. Then Kreig fell silent as he didn't quite know what to do or what to say, there was this awkwardness about in the air.

"So...um....how is your day so far?" Yes, he couldn't think a better question than that, but it was a start at least....

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[Aoren]

“You were on patrol? You’re a knight then?” Aoren eyed Kreig from head to toe looking a bit more closely. He didn’t have anything on his person that specifically told Aoren he was of the Order. Then again, if he was on patrol in the woods he could just be geared to be a bit more stealthy than was customary for a patrol in the city.

“I had heard about that. It is unfortunate. Mages like that tend to give the rest of us a bad name. There are those wizards who have a true desire to use their powers to help others. It seems we are a much smaller group compared to those interested in power for power’s sake though.” Aoren thought for a moment on the ratio of power hungry, ambitious mages he’d met compared to those truly interested in using their gifts for something meaningful. As he thought on that he turned the proverbial mirror on himself. He possessed knowledge of three disciplines of magic, Reimancy, Shielding and Glyphing. Of those three only one of them could be applied directly for the betterment of humanity. He was sorely lacking in skill when it came to Shielding that left him with only the more destructive of his powers.

Aoren could comfortably say that he’d never used his reimancy to purposefully hurt someone. The majority of the time he used his powers for more scholarly pursuits or to augment what little he was capable of in hand-to-hand techniques. He laughed softly at Kreig’s jest about being burnt to a crisp.

“Well, my more destructive powers are usually saved for those who threaten to do me harm. The last time I burnt anything to a crisp was when I was attacked by a mountain lion.” Aoren briefly recalled hurling a bolt of lightning at a mountain lion that tried to rip his throat out. He had been saved by the bravery of a Kelvic. He gave the blonde haired man a curious look for a moment before answering his awkward question.

“My day has been fairly productive so far. You asked me about my magic, is that because you practice magic yourself or because you have an interest in it?” Aoren figured he might as well point out the obvious. Few people asked about magic unless they had a certain degree of interest in it themselves. Like all wizards Aoren was mildly secretive about the depths of his knowledge in regards to his most prominent gifts. He had no problem discussing magic in a casual manner but he almost never just offered up in-depth knowledge on a whim unless the person in question was offering something in return.

[Kreig Messer]

'Gak, petch....I don't know how to answer that' Kreig stood silent for a bit. How does one answer a man who could burn a mountain lion to a crisp. Why did he ask him anyway? Well in all honestly there was no overaching reason, no great mystery.... ever since the day with the Journeyman in which he discovered Fallon was a mage, he had gained an interest. He scratched the back of his head and tried to come up with an answer, he coudn't really admit it so easily.... How can a man who went from hating magic, to tolerating then finally have a caution and fearful curiosity of such a thing give an appropriate answer?.

"Um..." Well by opening his mouth apparently " Its well.....I want to understand it." He blurted as he scratched the back of his head. Nervousness showing in his voice as he tried to speak the words "...It frightens me, I shall not lie. Its damn scary and I don't understand why some people go into it for power.... why would they risk such a power for petty ambition?" He had many questions, too many to speak of.

He also had another reason, a reason that he was almost too scared to speak of " And....why....why are there creatures that make it so necessary to use it? Why are there are creatures that mere mortal man can't kill with sword and shield like everything else?" His fists tightened, an itch forming in his head as he looked at Aoren "Why do you learn something that could so easily petch you up the arse if your not careful? It just does not make sense?"

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[Aoren]

“I don’t think any one person truly understands the full breadth of all the magic there is in the world.” Aoren didn’t think anyone would short of the gods themselves. That was part of the mystery of it all. He knew that there were a plethora of disciplines of magic that he knew nothing about save for some of their names beyond that he was hardly a sage in the matters of magic. Not even his old mentor had been all knowing when it came to magic.

“You pose some interesting questions, Master Kreig. I don’t believe any of them have easy answers. I can offer you my own perspective on the matter though.” Aoren ran a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath as he considered his words carefully. Once he was satisfied with how he was going to answer he spoke.

“Not everyone who adopt the disciplines of magic do so for power. There are men and women who take up such powers out of purely scholarly interests believing that by delving into such mysteries they can better understand the world. There are those who seek magic because they have a desire to use it to protect those who cannot defend themselves against it. They use the very powers that the common man fears to protect them from the same.” Aoren held up a hand. He concentrated taking a steady breath. As he exhaled he reached for the essence of his Djed expelling it from his body to pool in the palm of his hand. He dipped the fingers of his opposite hand into the ethereal liquid then began painting his forearm with it. Little by little he spread the liquid over his arm pulling the edges of what was beginning to form together. His thoughts lingered on notions of protection. He instilled the liquid with the ideal of blocking other Djed. Once he was finished he conjured a bit of Res in his opposite hand then gently tapped it against the newly formed Shield on his forearm. The Shield flared a brilliant cerulean.

“This is called a Shield. It is a protective form of magic. Its entire purpose is to defend against things whether they are magical or not.” Aoren allowed his Res to flow back into his body. He watched as his Shield deteriorated quickly. He let it then shook his arm to loosen the tightening of his muscles.

“Humanity has always taken up instruments capable of helping or harming others. Take a sickle for example; it can be used to harvest the wheat in the great Syliran Fields or it can be used as a weapon on the field of battle. Magic is like that sickle. In the right hands it can be a tool used to help your fellow man or it can be a weapon used to hurt them.” Sighing Aoren reached up to scratch his nose with his right hand flashing the Gnosis mark of Avalis. The Seer’s Lilly shone brightly in Syna’s light before dropping from view as Aoren lowered his hand. He shrugged his shoulders.

“You are angry with what you don’t understand. That’s only natural.” Smiling he folded his arms over his chest rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet. “So how do you dispel that anger? By making an effort to understand that which you do not. As for the creatures that roam the world that ordinary men can’t defeat I have no answer.” He considered for a moment what types of creatures Kreig might be referring to. Aoren had never encountered one such beast but he had no doubt such monstrosities existed.

“The gods, in all their wisdom, filled our world with wonders both great and terrible. Who are we to question why? We can only accept that they did and live our lives either fearing what we do not understand or making the choice to overcome it.” The Drykas man studied Kreig for a few moments. He had perhaps done quite a bit more justifying that he intended but it was in Aoren’s nature to do what he could to allay the fears of another.

“Which are you, Kreig? Will you live your life in fear? Or do you have it within you to overcome it?”

[Kreig Messer]

Kreig didn't know what to say as he listened to Aoren speak, a lot of what he said made a lot of sense...people made things that could be used to help and hurt, a fact of life that it was . Then he showed him that sheild...whatchama call it, from the very name it screamed protectiong. But Kreig couldn't see it quite as that, it triggered fear in him. He couldn't help it, he tolerated magic but he feared it all the same.

He didn't know why the gods filled the world with such wonders, however he knew that some gods existed only to torment and that some existed to counter them. It was a simple thing, and it bred so many frightening things. Whatever Aoren said, Kreig would still see magic as a domain that man should not tread, for whatever reason....the fact of the matter was, however, that they had no choice but to tread if it meant to protect people. It was like playing with fire, if for any lack of a better comparision, it is helpful as long as you use it to cook the food and keep you warm, it can be helpful in creating various potions and what not.....but misuse it and it can create might fires that threaten to ruin the land and melt the skin of your face.....


Kreig closed his eyes, took a deep and heavy breath....then let it all out in long sigh. He looked at Aoren again, a brow raised "I am afraid I will never 'unfear' magic, that is something I will live with my entire life....I accept that because without it I fear I may not rsspect it, for whatever magical descipline exists....whatever its purpose...magic, from what absolute little I know aside from an endless plethora of rumors, is pure power. And anybody who does not fear that power they hold, do not respect what they have in their hand and thus deserve none of it..." He scratched his right arm, almost like hives seemed to be forming on it as he continued " I want to understand this power, however I will [b]Certainly[/i] not give up my fear of it. Do forgive me if that sounds weak....but for a man such as myself, its the only course open for me"

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